|
Post by DoubleDare on Oct 31, 2014 16:15:54 GMT -5
went to a bunch of czw shows in 04 - 05 so i saw cesaro, Kevin Steen, also went to toh saw punk.
|
|
DjZonk
Don Corleone
Where's my cat?
Posts: 1,325
|
Post by DjZonk on Oct 31, 2014 16:29:06 GMT -5
Did anybody see Damien Sandow on the indies? I heard he was a riot...
|
|
|
Post by Viking Hall on Oct 31, 2014 19:33:35 GMT -5
What about people you saw who you thought were destined for greatness? I'm thinking of guys like Reckless Youth who's name was everywhere in the late nineties and was probably as big a name as a lot of the lower-tier wrestlers in the Big 3 without appearing on TV at the time yet by the early 2000's was pretty much in the wilderness. While he might not have fitted the mould entirely there must have been some that had all the attributes to make it yet never made it out of the minor leagues.
|
|
|
Post by Can you afford to pay me, Gah on Oct 31, 2014 19:50:07 GMT -5
The closest thing I ever saw was Delirious and Daise Haze. Before they made too bigger indies like ROH but both now retired.
|
|
Reflecto
Hank Scorpio
The Sorceress' Knight
Posts: 6,847
|
Post by Reflecto on Oct 31, 2014 22:15:50 GMT -5
I saw Trent Barreta on a indy card a year or so before he signed with WWE, so that's probably the best example I could use. (Cesaro was also on the card- but I consider him as having already been a relatively known indy guy, indeed it was just after Claudio signed his ill-fated first development deal.)
|
|
TGM
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 6,073
|
Post by TGM on Nov 1, 2014 4:52:56 GMT -5
I saw Mason Ryan in Liverpool a few months before he got signed to WWE.
|
|
Paco
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 7,145
|
Post by Paco on Nov 1, 2014 5:16:44 GMT -5
In Montreal, IWS was the big indie promotion.
There, I pretty much saw the rise of El Generico and Kevin Steen right from the start. I'm like a proud papa.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2014 6:53:56 GMT -5
There were a few who were already stamped with "the next generation" label. I'd say Samoa Joe, but he was already a widely-known star on the rise through the internet crowd. I wasn't all that wowed by him, honestly. Dunn & Marcos, also, had some sort of weird buzz surrounding them.
Petey Williams, Angel(ina Love) Williams and ODB would go on to TNA within the calendar year. Nigel McGuinness would move on to ROH.
The guy I liked the most: Nate Webb.
|
|
Juice
El Dandy
Wrong? Oh he can tell ya about being wrong.
I'm the one who raised you from perdition.
Posts: 8,172
|
Post by Juice on Nov 1, 2014 9:06:51 GMT -5
Being pat of the Pittsburgh indy scene I have seen buddies go on to some huge stuff. The Biggest is probably CM Punk, but to call him a buddy is stretching it.
However Sterling James Keenan/Corey Graves used to work at the Needles of Fury tattoo shop and was a local chap of mine. We spoke often. Rarely about wrestling. I've seen a lot of people come and go around here, some who made it to the grand stage in wwe and others who went to TNA as well. DJ Z/Shima Zion.
Lots.
|
|
|
Post by Sickness Rising on Nov 2, 2014 8:57:23 GMT -5
Like others here, I saw a lot of ROH guys before they made it to the 'E.
Also, saw guys like Ryder, Hawkins and Trent? while they were still rookies in NYWC. Mike Mondo from the Spirit Squad/ROH. NXT's Bull Dempsey. Saw former TNA X-division wrestler and current indy standout Anthony/Tony Nese's first match. Probably a few others I'm not remembering off the top of my head.
tl,dr: Check out NYWC if you live on Long Island.
|
|
Dean-o
Grimlock
Haha we're having fun Maggle!
Posts: 13,865
|
Post by Dean-o on Nov 2, 2014 14:29:42 GMT -5
Daniel Bryan at a CTWE show
|
|
Gummydavidson
Dennis Stamp
Johnny Davidson for Prime Minister!
Posts: 3,933
|
Post by Gummydavidson on Nov 3, 2014 9:57:31 GMT -5
Nope but i did see Finlay's son wrestle about a month ago and i'm predicting he will get a run in WWE at some point.
|
|
Phil Parent
El Dandy
Your Favourite Teacher
Posts: 8,508
|
Post by Phil Parent on Nov 10, 2014 21:35:21 GMT -5
I saw Kevin Steen's very first match for FLI (or International Wrestling, if you will) (Yes, that was before Jacques renamed it to Rougeau Wrestling). It was in a flea market and he was fighting either Handsome JF or Stevie Fabulous. Or Gorgeous Mike. Can't remember which.
He was all of 130 pounds, babyfaced, and finished with a 450, because yes, he won his debut match. That must have been his first match in front of a paying audience, I don't think his first trainer ran shows.
I don't think he actually lost a match in IW. Jacques thought he was the Next One for Montreal wrestling. He knew, and he was right. Might be a prick, but he knows his wrestling.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2014 21:58:10 GMT -5
What about people you saw who you thought were destined for greatness? I'm thinking of guys like Reckless Youth who's name was everywhere in the late nineties and was probably as big a name as a lot of the lower-tier wrestlers in the Big 3 without appearing on TV at the time yet by the early 2000's was pretty much in the wilderness. While he might not have fitted the mould entirely there must have been some that had all the attributes to make it yet never made it out of the minor leagues. IIRC Reckless Youth wrecked his back ripping off a Sabu spot. In retrospect he didn't look like much and probably was never going to hit the big time anyways.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2014 22:02:29 GMT -5
If Smoky Mountain Wrestling counts, then yes, quite a few of them.
|
|
Derk!
Hank Scorpio
Yeah, "looks like."
Posts: 5,066
|
Post by Derk! on Nov 10, 2014 22:06:17 GMT -5
Saw Matt Sydal in ACW a couple months before signing with WWE. He tore the house down with local wrestler JT Lamotta. They were supposed to have a rematch but him signing nixed that immediately.
Track it down if you get a chance.
|
|
|
Post by Dave the Dave on Nov 10, 2014 22:14:07 GMT -5
An HWA show in 2006ish? A tiny little gym in Evandale, Ohio. Maybe later even. A young Jon Moxley opened the show and stunk up the joint honestly.
Now, he just main evented HIAC as Dean Ambrose.
|
|
Oak: Certified Jade Hater
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Edgier than Wayne Brady, Harder than Chinese Arithmetic, and Higher than the ratings for Blade: The Series
TOP ROPE CATCH A VIBE YEAH I SWERVE WHEN I DRIVE
Posts: 15,391
|
Post by Oak: Certified Jade Hater on Nov 11, 2014 1:52:48 GMT -5
Got to see Místicoj/Sin Cara on a little lucha show. I remember expecting him to use the mist (since it was in his name), and being bummed when he didn't use it. Then he became great, got signed, and the rest is history.
Also saw Willie Mack in his first match. That was pretty cool to see.
|
|
|
Post by darkpatriot on Nov 15, 2014 22:36:54 GMT -5
Did anybody see Damien Sandow on the indies? I heard he was a riot... saw him a few times,most notably against Raven back in February 2003. its most memorable because Sabu no-showed and Aaaron Stevens(Sandow) took his place. most new England guys who've gone onto ROH,TNA or WWE ive seen on the indys at some point.
|
|
|
Post by Joe Neglia on Nov 16, 2014 3:28:26 GMT -5
What about people you saw who you thought were destined for greatness? I'm thinking of guys like Reckless Youth who's name was everywhere in the late nineties and was probably as big a name as a lot of the lower-tier wrestlers in the Big 3 without appearing on TV at the time yet by the early 2000's was pretty much in the wilderness. While he might not have fitted the mould entirely there must have been some that had all the attributes to make it yet never made it out of the minor leagues. For a while, around 2000 to 2002 or so, there was a pretty healthy contingent of PCW out of Arlington, Texas I was sure were going to make it somewhere. I didn't necessarily see them becoming WWF/E stars, but I thought most of them would have runs through places like ECW, ROH and the like, or all of those would-be WCWs that popped up after its demise. The only one from that period that went on to anything was Shadow, who became Lance Hoyt/Vance Archer, and frankly, he was one of the ones I *didn't* think was going to make it. Paul London and Red Dogg I'm not sure I'd count, as London was already a bit of a name when he swung through during this time period and RD had already done a stint in ECW. Mike Foxx, Jared Steele, Chris Chronic, Khris Germany (a vet, but in one of his best runs), the Cowboys from Hell (Scott Putski and Cedric Crane, ditto), Zane Morris, Kevin Douglas, and especially a guy named Gabe Roach. Thought they all were going on to bigger and better things. Of the lot, Foxx showed up in a WWF Raven skit once, kissing his foot; Steele had a match or two for ROH and Douglas still plugs away in the NWA cruiser title scene.
|
|